Goddaughter
by TheDisturbedFrog
Summary: Jack finds himself burdened with another one of the now endangered William Turner's damsels in distress.
1. Chapter 1: The Girl

_**Disclaimer:**_**I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the characters with the exception of OCs. Thank ye.**

The first thing I noticed when I woke that morning was that I was soaked from head to toe. The next thing was that I was not on my bed; I was on hard ground. And the third was the gruff voices and loud footsteps around me. I opened my eyes, realising how vulnerable my position on the floor was. I scrambled up from the ground and steadied myself. The wind ruffled my short brown hair and the air tasted salty.

Surrounding me were men - more like animals, really. Filthy, appallingly dressed and carrying a rancid pong with them. Some were missing limbs, some were missing eyes. They were all missing one thing in common: hygiene. So, either they were pigs or...  
Pirates. This was exactly how my mother had described them. My first instinct was to scream. But unfortunately, a certain pirate was there to stop me...

* * *

Slapping his hand onto the small girl's mouth, Jack leaned towards her ear.

"We don't bite, love," he said quietly.

"I KNOW THAT, FOOL!" She spat onto Jack's hand, which he wiped onto her pink frock. "YOU JUST STEAL AND KILL AND FIGHT AND JUST STINK IN GENERAL!"

"Yes, love. And that's the one thing that your type have in common with us," Jack said.

"Don't call me 'love', you...you odorous nincompoop!" yelled the girl. Jack looked amused while slightly confused.

"Odorous...what?"

"You are an odorous nincompoop," she stated.

"You smell funny."

"UGH! GET ME OFF THIS WRETCHED SHIP!"

"No."

"GET. ME. OFF."

"For you to report me to those miserable wigged idiots? No thanks. I think I'd rather not be hanged."

"Why? You do deserve it after all." She scowled. "Mark my words. You won't escape this time."

Jack laughed mirthlessly. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, love," he said. "I always escape."

The girl frowned. Where had she heard that name before? As she was thinking, a fat young boy, about fourteen years old, crept into Jack's vision.

"Hello, Borris," Jack said to his newest recruit. Borris ignored him as his plump arm raised slowly and dramatically to point in Jack's direction. His stubby finger quivered and Jack realised that he was in fact pointing at the girl.

"F-f-female child...LADY ON BOARD! AAAAAAAAARGH!" he exclaimed, and ran towards her, brandishing a belt in his hand.

"AAAAAARGH!" he yelled as he whipped her on the head. Being rather frail, the girl fell to the floor. This caught the attention of Mr Gibbs, and he strode towards them. The girl was clearly unconscious.

"Why did we hire this one, Gibbs?" said Jack.

"Because no one else would sail the seven seas with ye, Jack," he replied. Jack sighed.

"It was a rhetorical question, Gibbs." Gibbs grinned an almost-toothless grin.

* * *

The girl woke up and threw a tantrum once again. She couldn't be more than nine years old. Obviously she was rich and most probably had some relation with royalty. Which other small person in the world would or even could speak like that?

"Who's the young lass, Jack?" asked Gibbs, watching her scream and kick like a toddler.

"I don't know, and I don't know what she's doing on me pearl, but she looks familiar, does she not?"

"Aye. The offspring of someone with whom an unsettled dispute still remains between ye, and yar death will be at her hands. And that's assuming it's a lass, Jack, most probably a red coat in disguise. Or possibly... Tis Black Beard himself! Raised from the dead, and with a vengeance! And..." Gibbs turned to see that the girl had stopped her tantrum and was now looking at Gibbs, bemused. He lowered his voice slightly and continued. "Or she could be part of the Scottish empire, plotting the cruel and unsightly-"

"The Scottish have an empire?"

"Aye, and they be plotting the cruel and unsightly-"

"I can hear you, you know," said the girl. "And I must say, you do have quite an imagination. A ghastly one, indeed."

"So you've decided to calm down. Good idea. I was on the verge of..." Jack realised that this wasn't the right thing to say, as it only made her scream and kick once again.

"Bugger," said Jack.

Gibbs and Jack watched silently as the girl yelled and punched the ground. Rather childish, even for a child. Eventually, Jack had had enough and unsteadily walked towards the girl and grasped her arm, pulling her up.

"Look, my dislike for having you on this precious vehicle of which I am the captain of is equal to yours, and I probably know about as much as you do about the reason for your being here." Jack strode over towards a rope. "And I don't know about you, but I'm not particularly enjoying your...behaviour." Jack began tying Willow to a mast. "And in my reckoning you'll be far more useful when you're..." Jack pulled the rope into a tight knot, "Tied." Willow struggled against the rope but eventually gave up and pouted.

"Continue sulking, darling. I've got a few things I need cleared up and you'll be doing the clearing."

"Well that isn't fair. Why can't YOU do the clearing?"

"...What would you like cleared up?"

"Uh, well... I think you can start with the floor."

"The floor?"

"Yes, start with the floor. Chop chop. I want to be able to see my face in it." Willow ordered, looking at the floor with disgust.

"Clearing something up is a figure of speech, love. It means I ask the questions and you will answer. My first question is who are you, and the next is where was the last place that you were that you can remember, and the next is can you return to that place, and if not I would happily escort you."

"None of your business, home, no and please do."

"Where exactly is..home?"

"I have four."

"Lovely. Which is the closest to Tortuga, where we are heading?"

"TORTUGA? But that's the place where pirates roam, the place where filth would call it home, the place where fools would be content, the place where gamblers always went, the place where you should never go, stay away from Tortuga, Willow!"

"What?"

"It's a rhyme that my mother made for me."

"And is your name by any chance... Willow?"

Willow rubbed her nose.

"No…what would make you think that? Ha..ha... That's funny... I'm amused now...ha..ha..my name is the opposite of Willow...obviously..how foolish are you..."

"So your name is Willow. You know...your mother seems to be giving you a bad impression of pirates..." Jack looked into Willow's eyes, but saw someone else's. "...but she's spent a lot of time with pirates in the past. She fell in love with one." Willow frowned then laughed.

"Nonsense," she scoffed. "The only man my mother ever loved was my father, William Turner." She smiled proudly.

"So it is confirmed," Jack said.

"What is?" asked Willow, but Jack ignored her and started pacing unsteadily.

"I don't see why I must be burdened with you," Jack muttered. "If she's going to give me a bad name..."

"Who?"

"Elizabeth."

"You know my mother?"

"I know your mother better than you do."

"But…what…how?"

Jack was about to continue pacing when he heard a squark. He turned around to see a bird.

"Parrot," said Jack. The parrot flew over to him.

"Cotton's parrot," Jack noted. "What do you want?" The parrot lifted its left leg. Tied to it were two pieces of parchment. He ripped them both off the leg and shooed the parrot away. The first one said 'Willow' on it. Jack was about to read it when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"I believe that's for me," said a high pitched voice making him jump.

"Aargh, er, yeah." Annoyed, he tossed the letter at Willow.

"Wait, how did you get untied?" he asked. Willow nodded towards Borris and began to read.

"She's scary," whispered Borris as an explanation for untying the rope. Jack looked at the next letter. This one said: 'Jack'. Curious.

_Jack, _

_Do your job. Keep her out of harm's way. He's after me. She has it. He thinks I have it. Not safe to keep in contact. He killed Elizabeth. _

_WT_

**AN: Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Please tell me if I should continue in a review. Thank ye.**_  
_


	2. Chapter 2: Remembering

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the characters with the exception of OCs. Thank ye.**

~ Flashback ~

_Jack was at the wheel while the whole crew was snoring soundly. In the distance he could just about make out a ship. As it got closer, Jack squinted to read the words 'The Flying Dutchman'. Three years ago he'd have avoided that ship at any cost. Now it brought a golden grin to his face._

_As the two ships neared each other, Will waved enthusiastically._

_"William," greeted Jack._

_"Hello, Jack!" replied William cheerfully. "Where are you headed to?"_

_"I'm not sure I can trust that you won't tell a soul."_

_"Tortuga?"_

_Jack took a swig of rum. "How did you guess?"_

_Will just laughed. "Actually, Jack, Elizabeth and I wanted a word with you."_

_"What've I done now?"_

_"Surprisingly, nothing."_

_"And where is dear Lizzy at the present?"_

_"Home. Our new home, that is."_

_"Ah. So I suppose I'll be hearing this word in seven years, when you can reunite with the love of your life to tell it to me."_

_"No, actually…that's our new home," said Will, pointing to a small island not so far away._

_"Why, how convenient. Am I expected to change my route to visit your dear wife in this home of yours now?"_

_"Yes. And I won't be able to join you, unfortunately. I have matters to deal with. Goodbye, Jack."_

_Will turned and sailed away, waving goodbye to Jack, who rolled his eyes and turned towards the island._

* * *

_Cradling the bundle in her arms, Elizabeth sang to it. She herself was beginning to fall asleep when she was given a fright by a familiar sounding voice._

_"Congratulations, love. What a delightful little lad," said Jack._

_"Oh, goodness! Jack! You startled me!" Elizabeth exclaimed._

_"He's rather large for a newborn."_

_"_She_ is turning three tomorrow."_

_"Three? He should have his own boat by now. He should be married. And why didn't you tell me you had a little man for all these years? I would have taught him a few life lessons. Taught him how to be a real pirate."_

_"One, she is a girl. Two, you yourself are not married and you're-"_

_"But I did offer, not so long ago. You are to blame for my non-married state."_

_"Three, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Jack, and four, I want my daughter to have nothing to do with pirates."_

_"Well, tell me how that works out for you. Meanwhile, I'll be teaching him the basics of being a respectable pirate - well, when I say respectable..."_

_"Jack! This is why we didn't tell you!" Elizabeth exclaimed, slightly horrified._

_"But Elizabeth, darling, his father is a pirate. You can't hide him from us."_

_"She won't know. And she is a girl."_

_"Who?"_

_"My daughter."_

_"You have a daughter as well? Well that's wonderful! What else? Triplets?"_

_"Jack, I have only one child, and she's in my arms."_

_"You're giving me mixed messages here, Lizzy."_

_"I don't have a son. I have a daughter. This child is a girl. And you are her godfather,"_

_"Am not."_

_"Yes you are."_

_"I think I'd know if I had a godchild, love."_

_"We made you her godfather."_

_"Whose?"_

_"Willow's."_

_"I do not know a Willow."_

_"Willow is my daughter."_

_"Really? Where is Willow?"_

_"Here!" Elizabeth cried, plonking the child into his arms. Jack took her reluctantly and looked into her eyes. He saw Elizabeth's instead._

_"Good news, Lizzy. He's inherited your looks and not Will's. And he seems to be a girl. You may want to get that looked at,"_

_"SHE IS A GIRL!"_

_"Elizabeth, dear, please stop with your confusing outbursts. You'll wake the baby," he said, tutting and shaking his head in disappointment._

_"Jack, you're holding my daughter. Her name is Willow. She is my child. You are her godfather."_

Jack snapped out of the flashback and looked over to Willow, who was still reading her letter. Oh yes, the letter. Jack frowned at the first sentence of his letter.

'Do your job.' Assuming that 'job' was referring to his 'godfather' role, that meant that he was to look after her. This sparked many questions in Jack's mind, but he ignored them all and moved on to the next bit.

'Keep her out of harm's way.' Fairly straight forward. It was what it said next that worried Jack:

'He's after me. She has it. He thinks I have it.' Oh dear. There was only one thing that this could mean, and Jack didn't like it at all.

~ Flashback ~

_Jack had been enjoying his bottle of rum when all of a sudden he heard a yell. He turned around instinctively to see his crew looking equally alarmed. It took him a while to realise who was missing._

_"Where's Gibbs?" asked Jack, breaking the silence. Everyone shrugged and got back to what they were doing._

_"Stupid bloody crew," muttered Jack, annoyed that he had to stop drinking to go and look for Gibbs. If the cry of agony did indeed come from Gibbs, Jack thought he may have to perform some sort of rescue, and he really wasn't in the mood._

_After not so long, Jack found a large wooden box. Why it was there, Jack had no idea. He warily bent down and pressed his ear to it. He heard heavy and uneven…breathing. This of course was rather odd and he would have thrown it overboard in fear of whatever was in there jumping out at him, but a thought occurred…_

_"Gibbs?" he yelled at the box._

_"Aye, Jack," replied Gibbs's voice. Jack frowned._

_"Why are you in a box?" Jack heard a long sigh._

_"I wish I knew, Jack." Jack was now very confused, and began to consider walking away until Gibbs said: "There's a man on this ship who's looking for ye. Be warned…"_

_"Well for the fear of being locked in a box, I might have to find him first," Jack said as he turned to walk away._

_"Aren't ye forgetting something?" asked Gibbs._

_"Ah, yes. You," said Jack to a pirate scrubbing the floor. "Mr Gibbs is in that box, get him out."_

_Jack looked around; unsure of who he was looking for. He decided to go and get his rum, when suddenly he was pulled to the ground by a pair of grimy hands. One hand was still around Jack's neck as he struggled to get up. Jack looked at his attacker. He was surprised to see a short, fat little man with a long brown beard but no hair on his head. He was wearing what looked like some form of tunic..._

_"Who are you?" asked Jack._

_"Cruciere," the man replied with a French accent. "And you are Jack Sparrow."_

_"I believe there's a captain in there somewhere," said Jack._

_"Where?"_

_"Where what?"_

_"Where is the captain?"_

_"That's me."_

_"I know."_

_"Then why ask, strange man?"_

_"Enough! No more insolence. Tell me, Sparrow man, where is the heartless?"_

_"You'll find them all around this ship."_

_"I do not comprehend. There is only un man alive with no heart."_

_"Surely he should be dead…"_

_"He will be! I will stab the heart!"_

_"You said he didn't have a heart."_

_"Well the heart is in his chest."_

_"Yes, hearts generally are…"_

_"A chest meaning a container."_

_"Oh...I see. Speaking of containers, kindly remove your hand from my neck."_

_"What does that have to do with containers?"_

_"Nothing. Just do it."_

_"Non! You must direct me to the man who's heart is not in his body!"_

_"Why?"_

_"Because he has le key. LE KEY. Le key to the chest. It is all that I need. I must have the key."_

_"Why?"_

_"I must stab the heart!"_

_"Why?"_

_"I must be captain of the Flying Dutchman!"_

_"Surely you must know where he is if you know that you'll be captain of the Dutchman..."_

_"Hmmmm…but, Sparrow man, where is The Flying Dutchman?"_

_"I haven't the slightest idea."_

_"Would you like me to send my army to kill you and your crew? You know, we are almost ready to fight…and when we find the heartless…"_

_"Uh… The man you're looking for is that way," said Jack, pointing in a random direction. The moment the words escaped Jack's mouth, Cruciere was off. By the time Jack had got up and steadied himself, the little man had gone and left no traces. Somehow Jack did not doubt that this man had an army, and he had a feeling that this man would use his army to obtain the key, and therefore stab the heart, and therefore…_

_"Bugger," Jack said. He had to contact Will._

~ end of flashback ~

Since then, Jack remembered letters going back and forth between him and Will, devising a plan, but one day the letters were interjected by none other than the little French 'Cruciere' man himself, which of course caused many problems, so they decided to not communicate.

Jack frowned at the letter in his hand. The 'it' in the letter had to be the key, and the 'she' must be… Willow. So Willow had the key but Cruciere didn't know that, so he was after William instead…

The last three words of the letter wouldn't leave Jack alone. 'He killed Elizabeth'. That couldn't be right… Elizabeth couldn't be dead… But why would Will say it if it wasn't true? Jack looked at Willow. Did she know that her mother was dead? It was hard to tell. The expression on her face was unreadable.

* * *

All Willow could feel at the moment was confusion as she reread the letter.

Dear Willow,

At the moment you should be on a ship. I sent you to that ship for your safety. Jack Sparrow will be protecting you. Do not write back.

You won't be able to communicate with anyone but the people on the ship for a long time. I'm sorry. Yes, they are pirates, but they won't hurt you, Willow. I promise that you will be safe.

Of course, you have to remember everything that your mother told you about pirates, but she was exaggerating slightly, just to keep you safe. Believe it or not, some pirates are good men.

Willow, my father was a pirate. I am a pirate. I'm sorry I didn't tell you until now.

Be safe,

WT

Was that it, then? She was stuck on this ship, away from all civilisation? And what was this about her father being a pirate?

"Jack Sparrow," said Willow, walking towards him.

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow, Willow," Jack replied.

"I'm sorry, _Captain_ Jack Sparrow," said Willow.

"Yes, love, what is it that you require?"

"I was just wondering…why did my father send me to you and not…someone else?"

_Because apparently, I'm your godfather,_ Jack thought.

"Because I am a man above all others and the first person that any living being would hand their children over to if ever they were in danger," lied Jack.

"I don't believe you," Willow said.

"Believe what you will, love."

"Well fine, if you're not going to tell me the truth. Maybe you'll tell me where my father is? Or why I need protecting?"

"You need protecting because you are an infernal, articulate child who will get herself into much danger if she had blabbers like this anywhere else. Trust me, Will, if you had behaved this way on any other pirate ship you'd be dead."

"Firstly, my name is Willow, so why are you calling me Will?"

"Because." Jack took a swig of rum. "Willow is a tree, I believe, and you are not a tree unless I am mistaken."

"But 'Will' is a boy's name. I most certainly am not a boy."

"Well then your parents should have created a better name for you. And I have a question for you."

"Ask it."

"Why are you so irritating?"

"I'm not irritating, thank you very much. If anything you're irritating."

"What is your age, darling?"

"Turning eleven in three months."

Jack laughed. "Well, you had me fooled."

"Yes, many people do think I'm much older because of the eloquent way I speak, but-"

"Oh no, love. If you had said you were any older I wouldn't have believed you."

"What? Why?"

"You seem to be a four year old who has been stretched and knows many words."

"How rude!"

"You're rude."

"No, you are."

Jack sighed. She was stubborn, well spoken, annoying… Just like her mother. Elizabeth...

**AN: Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Please tell me if I should continue in a review. I appreciate the follows, favourites and the one review. Thank ye._  
_**


	3. Chapter 3: The pretty lass?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the characters with the exception of OCs. Thank ye.****  
**

Perhaps it was revenge, or perhaps it was his inner 'good man' showing himself for once but for whatever reason, Jack decided to change his route. He wasn't going to let bloody Will die at the hands of bloody Cruciere and he wasn't going to tell anyone.

Admittedly, what Jack wanted most at the moment was Cruciere…dead. Be it anger over Elizabeth's death or for the safety of Will, he wanted that man dead more than anything. Jack decided to go with anger over Elizabeth's death. Odd, because Jack really wasn't a very vengeful person, to be honest. But better choose revenge than concern over William… Well, he didn't really need to choose, anyway. It wasn't as if he ever told anyone his intentions. For every good act he did, people always seemed to choose his possible selfish alternative motive, but for every bad act he did, no one even considered his possible selfless alternative intention. Well, apart from Elizabeth, of course, who strongly believed that Jack was a good man. He snorted at this. He always knew Elizabeth was insane and bipolar.

Jack took out his compass and waited for the cursed needle to point in a certain direction. For a while, the deranged needle kept spinning, but eventually it stopped. They were headed west.

"Better turn west now while no one's looking..." muttered Jack. "If someone notices I'll just…"

"Jack, to whom be ye speakin' to?" asked Gibbs.

"What?"

"Ye were conversin' and I be wonderin' who to."

"I was not 'conversing'."

"Aye but ye were speakin'"

"I was not speaking."

"Arr, ye were too, Jack, but probably just thinkin' aloud."

"Thinking…what exactly?"

"I don't know, Jack. They be yer thoughts, not mine!"

"But according to you I was thinking aloud so you may have heard something."

"Nayy, I never try to be let inside yer thoughts, Jack, I'd be lost even with a map."

"Hmm…Yes, so I suggest go away before you get lost."

"Yarr! I must depart!" said Gibbs, running madly as if he'd really get lost if he was anywhere near Jack. Shaking his head, Jack turned the wheel towards the setting sun in the west.

"Jacqueline?" said a small voice. Jack turned to see Willow approaching him.

"I think you've got the wrong person, love," said Jack. "Try somewhere over there," he said, pointing in a random direction.

"NAY!" exclaimed Willow. Jack looked at her weirdly.

"Nay?" he asked.

"Aye! I thought I'd try pirate speak while I'm here. Get used to the culture to expand my knowledge on ... the culture."

"Please don't," Jack replied tonelessly.

"Whatever, Jacqueline," Willow said.

"Who is Jacqueline?"

"You are."

"Am not."

"Y'are too, me scurvy mate!"

"Scurvy mate?"

"Aye!"

"Try it with a lower voice."

Willow made a disturbing sound in her throat. "Ye are too, me scurvy mate!"

Jack frowned. "No, no, grin while you're saying it, and slur your words."

Willow cleared her throat and obeyed. "Y'are too m'scurveh mate!"

"No, it still doesn't work."

"What a shame."

"Yes, I don't think anyone really would ever say, 'scurvy mate'."

"JACK, ME SCURVY MATE!" said Pintel, appearing out of nowhere. Jack just looked at him in a bewildered manner, waiting for him to leave. He left.

"Don't learn from Pintel," advised Jack. Willow nodded.

"Of course not, Jacqueline. He is undoubtedly the most revolting human I ever did see!"

"I think you have me mistaken for someone else," said Jack.

"I do not."

"Well, my name is not…" Jack made a disgusted face, "Jacqueline."

"Yes, it is. Your first name is Jacqueline."

"Actually, dear, it's Captain."

"The point is, I will call you Jacqueline as long as you call me Will," she said.

Willow did not get the response she wanted. Jack just stood there with a smirk on his face until she stormed off.

"Who's the pretty lass?" said a voice. Jack turned around. There was no one there. He shook his head and walked forth when he felt a hand on top of his head. He remained still until the culprit lowered himself.

"Pintel, why are you hanging upside down from a rope with one hand on my head?" inquired Jack. Pintel ignored this.

"Who's the pretty lass?"

"Will." Pintel made a face.

"You mean to say that our William is a pretty lass?" he asked. Jack laughed.

"Yes, William is a pretty lass."

"What in the world?" said another voice, making Jack and Pintel jump.

"Aargh!" yelled Jack. Willow was behind him.

"My father is a pretty lass?" Willow said, eyeing Jack suspiciously.

"This be William?"

"No...er.."

Borris, Gibbs and a few others came to join the discussion. "The lass is a pretty'un, aye,"

"Excuse me?" said Willow.

"AARGH!"

"Jacqueline, I demand you-"

"Jacqueline! That be the name of a pretty lass!" said Gibbs.

"Cap'n, what be ye tellin' us?"

"I think he's under the impression that-"

Jack closed his eyes and massaged his temples in despair, not knowing who was speaking or what was being spoken.

"WE MUST FIND THE TRUTH!"

"The cap'n be sayin' that this pretty lass is dear Turner in disguise..."

"WHERE'S THE PRETTY LASS?"

"Nay! He be implyin' that dear Will Turner is indeed a lass!"

"A lass bein' the cap'n o' the Dutchman?!"

"Alas!"

"Nayy, all lies, I tell ye!"

"CAP'N! WE BE HEADIN' IN TH' WRONG DIRECTION!"

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"Jacqueline, we are heading in the wrong direction," explained Willow.

"THIS BE NOT THE WAY TO OUR TORTUGA!"

"Shut up!" Jack pleaded. His crew obeyed, "Now, I know there is some confusion as to who this female is-" Jack indicated to Willow. "She is my…she is the daughter of William Turner. William Turner is not a pretty lass... he is an ugly lass." There were many confused looks. "Which is why he remains classified as a male being. As for the route: Well, I'm the captain and I shall make the decisions on this boat. Savvy?" Annoyed looks. Rebellious looks but not quite mutinous looks. Jack sighed. "Alright, we're going to save the pretty lass who still remains classified as a male. Now get back to work."

Jack avoided Willow's eyes.

"A rescue mission, Jack?" Gibbs said.

"No," Jack replied. "Did I say rescue? No, I said visit. And..it's, er, for girl Will to see man Will," Jack added in a low voice. "Don't mention it to her, she's very embarrassed by it," he explained, shooting a pretend sympathetic look at Willow.

"But ye said 'save', Jack."

"Your ears are failing you, Gibbs. It comes with old age."

"AYE! Ye be right, Cap'n."

"Of course I'm right, I'm always right, you odd specimen. Now, off!"

"Aye, I be off. I be off. I be off."

"I mean relieve me of your presence."

"Oh, aye! I get ye, Jack."

_Half a day later, after spotting a familiar piece of land..._

"GIBBS!"

"Aye, Cap'n?"

"See that over there?" Jack asked.

"Er... No."

"There." Jack pointed.

"Nay, I can't see nothing."

"Jolly good, Gibbs. At least your eyes haven't failed you. Now, that thing-"

"Nay, Cap'n! I says I can't see nothing. I can't see nothing at all." Jack gave him a confused look.

"I don't understand ye, Jack." Gibbs tried to explain his simple predicament.

"Oh, I see! I see, you can't see it, is that it?"

Gibbs tried to work this out.

"Aye! I couldn't see what you be talking 'bout."

"Ah, apologies, Gibbs. Double negative. You know how these things are. Now, I'm talking about that island over there." Jack pointed again to the small piece of land.

"Ah, that miniature isle over yonder." Gibbs acknowledged. Jack rolled his eyes at this.

"Yes, that small island over there. I am going aboard. No one else is to come with me. Especially not Will."

Gibbs shook his head condescendingly at Jack.

"Will can't step a foot on land, Cap'n, remember? Ferrying dead souls to the next world and such."

"No, I mean Willow." Jack said.

Gibbs shook his head as if to say 'What are you talking about, madman?'

"The pretty lass?" Jack tried again.

"Who, Jacqueline?"

"NO! There is no Jacqueline!" Jack cried hysterically. "I mean the little girl with a nose stuck in the air and a vocabulary that could challenge dear Hector's."

"Oh, you mean Arrogance!" Gibbs recognised.

"I'm sorry, who?" It was Jack's turn to be confused now.

"It's our name fer her."

"Whose?"

"The crew's. Ye see, ye did not give a name fer her so we decided we best call her an adjective."

"But it's a noun, Gibbs. A noun."

"Aye, cap'n."

"Right…"

"Aye cap'n"

"Well... Arrogance must not be on deck, she must not leave the ship and neither must anyone else. Get them drunk, chain her in the brig. Whatever you must."

"Aye, Cap'n."

"And while you are at it, learn a few more words," Jack said, and with that he left the ship to row over to the small island where Willow was born. He couldn't hunt down Cruciere without visiting that island...

**AN: Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it. I appreciate the follows, favourites and the reviews. I was asked how often I update in a PM; I don't have a schedule but if people seem to like it I'll try to add a new chapter at least every week. ****Thank ye.**


	4. Chapter 4: Burial

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the characters with the exception of OCs. Thank ye.**

Jack cautiously placed one foot onto the sand, which was incidentally no different from any other sand he had ever come across. For once, his boot was dry - this was due to the fact he mainly ended up on islands because of utterly disgusting mutinies. Also, his ship wasn't leaking. Jack would have thought the circumstances were most excellent and promising, if he hadn't just stepped onto the island where his blonde, arrogant, wealthy arch enemy had just been killed. 'Arch enemy' meaning 'the person he should have killed himself as soon as returning from the land of the dead... Where he was placed by this person in the first place through extraordinarily selfish murderous means'.

But now that she was dead, Jack could truthfully say with all the honesty of his soul, that he was deeply glad that he would no longer be pestered by her.

"That's a bit harsh, Jack. Even for you," Jack-who-sat-on-Jack's-right-shoulder said.

"I know. And now I'm being pestered by her spawn. Tell me, why do I always get the rotten end of the stick?"

"Because you're not a nice person," he replied.

"Elizabeth says I'm a good person," said Jack, in a slightly childish way.

"But there's a difference between nice and good," said Jack-who-sat-on-his-left-shoulder.

He stopped bickering with his alter egos who sat on his shoulder when he saw the ... Turner ... Residence?

It was made out of trunks of slender trees and for a roof, there were palm leaves and more wood. It was fairly sized, probably a little spacious for a never present husband, a wife and a tiny daughter. He had to say, this was far more impressive than it was the _last_ time he went, when their home was three palm trees tied together at the top with seaweed. But nonetheless, it looked like a niceish family home.

Or it would have looked like a niceish family home if the front door wasn't eerily swinging slowly. Or if it wasn't deadly silent. Or if there wasn't any dried blood on the sand, just outside the door.

He creaked the slightly ajar door fully open, sword in hand and walked inside the ridiculous house. There was a surprising amount of furniture for a home made entirely by hand. It was made entirely of wood apart from a few items that seemed to have been from overseas, because there really was nothing else on this island. The rug had a few toys on it. It all looked completely normal apart from the fact that everything was disheveled and thrown around on the floor. And more signs of blood. Jack looked at the mess and did some analysing. He examined every dropped item and sniffed around, seeing if there was anything he may miss that would lead him to Cruciere.

Dear Lizzy didn't seem to be anywhere in sight, which wasn't surprising, really. Jack knew that there was no way that Elizabeth wouldn't be stubborn about everything in life including dying and would probably scream and kick and perhaps drag the little French man to his death with her which would be good. Elizabeth was bound to put up a struggle. This was rather unfair, really, seeing as she heartlessly murdered Jack without a second glance or thought. Jack had a slight grudge with Elizabeth about this still, you see.

He walked slowly across the large hall through another door which was hanging precariously on its makeshift hinges. The first thing that hit him was the putrid stench of death. The room was large and dim. Like before, everything was ruined including the bed (which must have been bought from elsewhere because there was no way that William was that skilled at anything). As Jack scanned the room, he noticed the seeping sunlight catch something pale. A wrist.

He moved the blood stained covers off her and froze. Elizabeth Swan was dead. Her eyes wide open and looking straight at Jack. It was unnerving. Jack shook her, "Lizzy!" he hissed. He shook her again. She didn't move and her eyes remained glazed over but still looking at him. Just as though she were about to scold him for being rude or manipulative or tell him what a brilliant man Will is. But no. She was dead. And the whole house was empty. Had you been wearing a nose peg and didn't know who on earth Elizabeth Swan was, you would have no idea that she was currently present and dead. There was no eerie presence and no whisper of a spiritual wind. There was just emptiness. Usually when someone died Jack felt a tiny whisper of pity but now he just felt cheated and empty.  
He would have to move the body. Bury her or something, but for now, Jack hastily backed out of the room because he could not stand it. For a second he considered going back and shutting those creepy eyes, but he couldn't go back in there.

He walked into the hall where he had seem her all of those years ago (but all of those years ago it was the shade in the centre of three trees tied together with seaweed, of course) with a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach, like lead, and the back of his throat was stinging. Most likely because some sort of fly had just flown into his mouth.

"Jacqueline! What on EARTH are you doing in my house?"

_Ugh_.

"I thought you were being tied up," said Jack, annoyed.

"Yes, it seemed fishy, so I thought I'd escape. Anyway, what did you do my house?"

"Nothing."

"Then what-oh goodness... What is that pong?"

"What 'pong'?"

"Wafting through the air, through my nose, taking away all life from the house...emphasising the blood spilt over the floor, putrid and..."

"Shut up, Will," commanded Jack, and he went outside to lie down on the sand. He didn't feel too well and wanted to be left alone by annoying little girls. His head had barely touched the sand when he heard an ear-piercing scream. Grunting in frustration, he got up and walked towards the house.

"Will?" he called. No reply. Worried now, he crept inside and followed the sound of soft sobbing. The door creaked behind him. Slowly he entered the room. Oh. Of course. Willow had found her mother. Dead. Now this was extremely annoying. He didn't want to be reminded of his unhappiness by having to comfort the daughter of the source of all unhappiness.

"Will, come outside," said Jack in an oddly stern voice. She didn't. "Willow, you don't want to stay in this room. Come outside." Jack walked towards her and considered dragging her until she got up and and did the unexpected. She slapped him. Right across the face. Then she walked out of the room, Jack following her, his hand on his cheek, looking slightly outraged.

_I've had enough of being slapped by angry women,_ he thought. _Or angry stuck up little girls_

* * *

Happy that he could finally get some peace, Jack lay down, ignoring that little part of his mind urging him to go and say something to Willow that would perhaps make her feel slightly less depressed. He successfully ignored it for about three minutes, when that little part of his mind transformed itself into something far more annoying.

"I must say, Jackie, this really is low. Neither nice nor good. Look at the pitiful thing. Can't you produce an ounce of feeling and go to comfort her?" said the right-shoulder Jack.

"Look, mate, I'm sure she must want some time to lie down on her own, and I'm letting her have that freedom while enjoying it meself," Jack replied, finding that what he was saying was reasonable.

"Shameful, Jack, shameful. You know I really expected better from you. Would you really sink that low as to abandon your goddaughter at a time when she needs you?" Jack shuddered at the word 'goddaughter'. "Think about it, mate, she needs someone there for her and I reckon you're going to be that person. Who else does she have?"

"Alright, alright, leave me alone before the other me comes..." And with that, he strode towards the tree which Willow was sitting under.

"Hello!" said Jack, trying to sound chirpy.

"Go away," said Willow.

"No," Jack replied stubbornly.

Willow sighed. "It was that man, wasn't it? The French one..."

"How do you know who that man is?"

"Father...mentioned him once. To my mother...in a letter that I found."

"Do you know what that man is planning?" Willow shook her head.

"He wants to stab your father's heart."

Willow let out a short deranged sob. "But why? Why is he after my parents? You have to stop him, Jack..."

"A few years ago...there was a battle. This battle against the Flying Dutchman, a big scary ship. William was about to die. He practically did die. There was an evil man called Davy Jones..."

"Oh yes, I've heard about him. Legends of course...about his heart and everything."

"What if those legends were true, love? What if they had everything to do with you?"

"How?"

"Well, let me continue with the story."

"Yes, go ahead."

Jack got back into story telling mode. "Davy Jones was the captain of the Flying Dutchman, and his heart was locked away in a chest..."

"Impossible."

"_Improbable_."

"Continue."

"Anyway, his heart was locked in a chest..." Willow snorted. _Annoying, narrow-minded little girl._ "Do you want me to tell you the story or not?"

"Of course I do, carry on."

"Right, well when you're captain of the Flying Dutchman, you have to ferry souls of the dead every ten years..." Willow burst out laughing at this. "Fine. I don't think I want to carry on telling you the story anymore."

"No, no, please, I promise I won't interrupt this time."

"Good. So you're bound to your ship for ten years, and then you get a day off. Davy Jones' true love didn't show up on that day, so he ripped his heart out. He hid the chest, and anyone who managed to stab the heart... Well their heart would take its place and they'd be captain of the Flying Dutchman. Guess who stabbed it?"

"My father?"

"Aye!" said Jack, who was thoroughly enjoying telling his story, making Willow jump. "Because he was almost dead. So he stabbed it to live. It was my idea, of course. He wouldn't've done it without me. In fact, I put the heart right there, in front of him so he'd have no choice but to stab it. Gave him the knife, everything, really."

"For some reason I think you're telling the truth..."

"Well that's good, because if you weren't going to believe me then I'd have to lie to you."

Willow's excited face suddenly turned into one of sadness. "Father's going to die," she said. "Just like mother..." Willow buried her head into her knees. There was a long pause.

"No he's not," Jack said quietly but firmly. It was enough for a weak smile to appear on Willow's face. They were silent for a few minutes, each engaged in their own thoughts.

"What are we going to do with mother?" asked Willow, her voice cracking slightly.

"We're going to bury her," replied Jack.

Willow nodded. There's no time to be upset, she thought. Willow looked up at Jack. He was staring at her house. There was something wrong with him. He looked...lost. had seen this look before. She had seen it on Jack briefly when he was reading his letter. She saw it on her mother, once, when she hadn't got a reply to a letter she sent Willow's father. Could it be that Jack actually _cared_ about her mother? Ha! Surely not. Despite one or two of her previous prejudice views about pirates being proved wrong, she still didn't believe that they were _truly_ human. But looking at him again, it did seem that he was somewhat feeling... Maybe there was more to Jack than met the eye. It seemed that he had some sort of history with her mother that Willow didn't know about. But she really couldn't picture her mother associating herself with a pirate. _Don't think about mother, _she told herself. _It will only upset you. _At the moment she felt that she had lost her lifeline. She didn't want to feel that...

"How could she do this to me?" Willow blurted out. "If I had been with her we'd either have both died or neither of us would! She shouldn't have made me come onto the ship. She should have come with me, or let me stay."

Jack's head snapped towards Willow. "Yes," he said. "And do you really think Elizabeth would risk letting you die?"

"She shouldn't have dumped me on a pirate ship," Willow said.

"It's motherly love, darling, perhaps you'll know the feeling one day."

"Father shouldn't have let her be on an island all alone. She's only very frail."

"You underestimate your mother. I'm sure if William had stayed with her, Elizabeth would be saving frail William and his fair fighting from Evil French Man."

Willow didn't reply to this and wondered what her mother had ever done to make Jack think that she could save her father from Evil French Man. She couldn't imagine her mother in a fight. _Stop thinking about mother,_ Willow told herself again.

Jack happily embraced the long silence and shut his eyes. What he desperately needed now was some rum. Whatever he thought about, his craving for rum would not rid itself from his mind. It came to a point when he could bear it no longer and he got up.

"We should bury her now," Jack said. No reply. He looked at Willow and saw that her eyes were shut and she was breathing deeply. She was asleep. Had they really been sitting in silence for that long? Oh well. He didn't expect that she would particularly want to carry her mother to the place that she'd be buried. He didn't want to be comforting her or anything of the sort, and he didn't particularly want to talk to her either.

Jack thought that Elizabeth's body should be cleaned and dressed in clean clothes. But that would be weird. Because he'd have to do it. So instead, he washed her soon to be decomposed face and carried her onto the sand. Now, where to bury her? Jack was certain that setting her adrift in the sea was what she would have wanted.

"Yes. That is an extraordinarily excellent idea, Jack," he complimented himself.

"What is?"

"Oh brilliant. You're awake."

"Yes. What is an extraordinarily excellent idea?" Willow asked.

"Burying her in the sea."

"It is impossible to bury someone in the sea,"

"I mean set her off. Like a piece of wood. I think that's what she might have wanted."

"Why?"

"Well, when I first met her, she was an arrogant, stuck up little thing. She still is to this very day."

"Impertinence!"

"Anyway, once she got captured and almost died-"

"Almost died! Why are my parents always in life threatening situations?"

"Well, I don't know-"

"I bet it was because of you," she accused murderously.

"Probably. But what I mean to say is that she loved the sea and she loved the freedom of it. But what she loved the most ... was the pirates," Jack explained gravely.

"That's ridiculous!"

"I think I know your mother better than you do," Jack said condescendingly.

Willow huffed and stared at her mothers face. "I think she would like to be buried some where in the middle. Between home and sea. I think I know a place," she said, assuming that Jack would follow her, and walked in the opposite direction. Jack rolled his eyes and picked Elizabeth up, struggling with her dead weight. _She must have wanted to say something to me before she died,_ thought Jack. _She must have wanted to spend her last few minutes talking to me._ _Who wouldn't?_

"Don't be stupid Jackie, she'd have wanted to talk to William."

"Oh not you again, right shoulder person. Got any more moral advice? Look what you did! Elizabeth is dead and it's all your fault," said Jack, irritated. Willow turned around in horror.

"MY fault?" she exclaimed.

"No, love, was I talking to you?"

"Well who ELSE could you POSSIBLY have been TALKING to?"

"Me."

"What...YOU?!"

"No silly, the other me."

Willow's expression changed from horrified to concerned.

"Jack, dear, would you like to sit down?" Jack ignored her and walked on.

"Where are we going?" Jack asked.

Willow tried to do a mysterious smile. "You'll see," she said.

When they finally got to this mysterious area, Jack looked rather disappointed.

"Is that it?" he asked, looking at the oversized pond that he had been led to.

"Yes..." Willow replied. "I swear it looked far more impressive before..."

"Well we've come all this way, let's bury her."

"Great. How?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

"You think I've had experience with this sort of thing? I'm ten for heavens sake!"

"TEN? Goodness' sake child, what's wrong with you?"

"How old did you think I was?"

"Not ten," Jack said worriedly. "Are you sure? Are you sure you're ten?" Jack asked.

"Yes, I'm sure I told you this before," she said.

"Alright…alright…" he said breathlessly. "Let's...let's bury her now."

Willow suddenly looked upset again. "I wish she was alive..."

"Of course you do, love. But there's nothing we can do.

"I know..." she said sadly. Jack looked at her. She really did look depressed. He didn't want his miniature-Jacks to come out to bicker with him, so he had to make a decision. _She _didn't seem to care about _his _feelings, so why should he try to comfort her? But she looked so alone and upset... _She should learn to deal with these feelings._ But that part of his brain was urging him to talk to her. _Talk to her now before she starts crying._

No. If I talk to her she _will_ cry.

_Just talk to her, dammit, she's expecting you to!_

Well, she should lower her expectations!

_NOW!_

FINE! Jack awkwardly walked towards Willow and patted her shoulder.

"There, there..." he said, not knowing what else to say. "There, there," he said again, and then he walked away. What else was he supposed to do? He was too busy for this sort of thing anyway. He was busy burying a body in a pond. _A pond? _ _Really_?

Jack moved the body over to the extremely shallow pond. He lay her down at the bottom and wondered what to do next. He looked over to Willow to see if she'd know what to do. Willow brushed away a tear then went over and fiddled with something around her neck. She had two. One was a silver chain with a light blue stone hanging on it. The other one was a long string with a key attached to it. If that Cruciere knew what this girl had around her neck... Willow took off her necklace with the stone on it and put it around her dead mother's neck.

"It's hers..." she said. "I…borrowed it. My father gave it to her..." Jack nodded, knowing and understanding exactly what she meant by 'borrowed'. Jack felt that he should make some sort of offering to Elizabeth. Awkwardly, he searched his pockets and found nothing.

Willow watched as Jack searched the ground. She wasn't in the mood for talking, but if she was she'd ask what on earth he was looking for. Finally, he settled for a charcoal-like rock. He leant over her mother and held her wrist. Then with the rock he began to draw something.

"Stop that!" exclaimed Willow.

"Shh," said Jack. "I'm concentrating."

"What are you drawing on my mother's wrist?"

"A mark of her true inner-self," Jack replied, smiling maliciously as he drew the letter 'P' onto her wrist. "Pirate." Jack grinned. If she couldn't be convinced that she was a true pirate while she was alive, there was nothing she could do about now she was dead...

"Right... So won't people be rather taken aback? It looks like she's drowned…"

"That's what a coffin is for," replied Jack.

"How on Earth are we supposed to make that?"

Jack went into the house. Willow sat down and waited. She looked at her mother and sighed. Only ten years of her life had been spent with her... It wasn't fair. Jack came out of the house with a large wooden table. He stumbled towards the pond and placed the table over Elizabeth.

"There," he said.

"Jack, you may as well have put a large piece of wood on top of her," scolded Willow, disappointed.

"But this has legs to hold it up. A large piece of wood would've fallen off," he explained innocently.

Willow sighed. "Well, we've got to have a gravestone." Jack rolled his eyes and searched for something that could be used as a gravestone. He settled for a large rock which he placed next to the pond. With the same stone he used to brand Elizabeth's wrist, he wrote: 'Here lies Elizabeth Swan-Turner-Sparrow-Norrington, Pirate King.'

"PIRATE KING?" yelled Willow.

"Yes, it's what she would've wanted."

"KING? NOT QUEEN?"

"Yes, King. Not Queen."

"SWAN-TURNER-_SPARROW_-NORRINGTON?"

"Yes, although technically it should be Norrington-Turner-Sparrow-Turner in order of proposals."

"WHAT? _You _proposed to my _mother_?"

"I did. And she didn't say: 'no'. She simply said that if I smelt slightly better, she would be happy to."

"I don't believe you. I think she rejected you and you were heartbroken. And who is this 'Norrington'? He sounds like a fool to me.'

"Oh, Norrington, lovely man, he was. Second worst decision your mother ever made, rejecting him."

Willow fell silent for a while.

_So my mother does have a lot to do with pirates...why did she lie?_

"And oh gosh, it gets worse. She proposed to Barbossa."

"WHAT?" Willow screamed, more horrified than ever before. She had heard strange things about a pirate called Barbossa from her father...very strange and disturbing things.

"Yes. It was just after - literally just after- your William asked her to marry him. It was during the huge battle, and your dad says, "Marry me blah I love you blah I have made my choice, what's yours?" said Jack, doing a surprising good imitation of William. "And then Elizabeth looks him in the eye and says, 'Barbossa!"

Willow rasped at this.

"And then she turns towards the man that she's chosen to be with and says," Jack continued, "MARRY US!"

Willow's hands flew to her mouth.

"And Barbossa said, after not much persuasion "Fine then". But they split up because 'bout an hour later, she went off with the whelp- er I mean your father. Hector was heartbroken."

"But...but...father said that Barbossa is the evil of all evil who is _obsessed _with _green apples _and _drools _when he eats them!"

"All true."

"That's sickening..." Willow seemed to be traumatised at Jack's retelling of the event. She looked to the gravestone and decided to change the subject. "Your handwriting is appalling. And what if someone moves the table?"

Jack ignored this and went to sit down under a tree. Willow followed him and sat near him much to his annoyance.

"Why are we here, Jack? Did you come here knowing that she'd be dead?" Willow asked.

"We are here to do some investigating, love."

"What sort of investigating?"

"Investigating that requires the ability to perform an investigation."

"What are we looking for?"

"Something to investigate."

"What might that be?"

"Anything that strikes you as French."

"Why?"

"Because we have no idea what we're doing."

"Then we have no chance of saving father."

"Good!"

"What?"

"How many times have I saved him and his bonnie lass? How many times have the both of them tried to kill me? How much have I done for them? And how do they repay me?"

"Be quiet, Jack, let's go and save my father."

Jack would much have liked to continue his rant, but he agreed to carry on with their mission to save William, anyway. They made their way back to the Pearl.

* * *

"_Oh Lord, please save our souls,_" sang the crew in pirate-harmony, which really wasn't harmony at all. "_Our lives were never whole..._"

Gibbs looked at the whole crew, standing in a semi-orderly fashion and felt very pleased with himself as he conducted his choir. This was a perfect way to keep them distracted.

"_Oh Lord, don't doom us all to Hell..._"

"Gibbs!"

Gibbs turned around.

"Oh, Jack! Back already are ye?" Jack looked at his singing crew, repulsed.

"Make them stop," he pleaded. Gibbs did a weird movement with his hand and they all stopped their dreadful singing. There was silence for a moment, but Willow broke it with her enthusiastic applause. Rolling his eyes, Jack went to find his rum.

"Jack, where be we headed to?" asked Gibbs. Jack looked at his compass and pointed in the direction of the needle.

"That way."

**AN: Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Hopefully chapter 5 will be a nice break from the dialogue. Thank ye.**


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